degrassifandomcom-20200223-history
Talk:SorryNotSorry/@comment-1936167-20161012220036
I have some big news, you guys. I've been meaning to post about this for a long time now, but the past few months have been so busy for me that I just haven't found the time to make a post, but I've left it for too long and I'm dying to tell you all, so anyways... This month, literally in 9 days from now, I'M GOING TO JAPAN FOR THREE WEEKS! Most of you guys know me and know how much a trip to Japan means to me. No joke, there is absolutely NOTHING I desire more than to travel to my motherland. I have longed to explore my roots since I was a kid and I've reached a point in my life where I've become obsessed in doing whatever I can to go there. I've been working hard for the past two years and saving up money for this, like you have no idea. When I come back home at the end of my trip, you better believe that my ass will be broke as fuck. I don't care, though. This is going to be more than worth it. Saying that I'm excited right now is an understatement. Anyways, last year, my cousin and aunt offered to take me out there, because they go every five years to participate in a special festival, which they are going back for this year. It's a celebration where Japanese people from all over the world come to represent their ethnic community from their respective countries. Therefore, my relatives and I will be among those representing Japanese Canadians from Toronto. Knowing how much I've always wanted to go, they invited me to come along. Believe me, this isn't something that I planned recently or anything. I started arranging this trip for myself since this Spring and my cousin offered me the invite last Thanksgiving, so I've had a lot to think about and plan over the past year. It's been crazy. That's not all, though. The even bigger part of my news is that I'm spending a large portion of my trip alone! I've never travelled by myself to a foreign country. I'm going to be with my aunt and cousin for one week in Okinawa (which are Japan's southern islands), because we're all taking part in this festival that I mentioned. After the festival is done, I'm flying over to the mainland and spending two weeks there by myself. My aunt and cousin have another side of their family to visit, so they'll be separating from me. I have family all over Japan, as well, who I'll be spending time with. Most of my relatives from there have already visited Canada many times, so I've met them before. I also have Japanese friends who studied abroad in Toronto last year and they're back in Japan now, so they've promised to hang out with me while I'm visiting. No one needs to worry. I won't literally be ALL alone. I'll just be travelling from place to place on my own. I'm lowkey nervous and highkey excited to travel by myself, though! I feel like I need this experience for my own personal validation and happiness. I need time away from my family to solely enjoy time for me, if that makes sense. I'm leaving on October 21st and it takes a day just to get from Toronto to Japan. My flight is direct and 18 hours long, which is a longer plane ride than I've ever taken before. I'm making six destination stops during my trip. I'll be heading home in the evening on November 12th, and due to the time change, it'll still be November 12th when I arrive back to Toronto, so I'm happy I won't be losing a day. In case anyone is actually interested in where I'll be stopping, I've got a map handy. *'Okinawa' (from Oct 22nd–Oct 30th), in the bottom right-hand corner of the map. *'Fukuoka' (from Oct 30th–Nov 2nd), in the grey-shaded area on the left-hand side. *'Kyoto, Osaka, and Shiga' (from Nov 2nd–Nov 7th), the cluster of prefectures in the indigo-shaded area in the centre. *'Tokyo' (from Nov 7th–Nov 12th), in the green-shaded area on the right hand side. I'm taking an hour flight from Okinawa to Fukuoka, and from Fukuoka, I'm getting to the rest of my destinations by bullet train. I have a two week railway pass that I am allowed to use infinitely and it will take me anywhere I want throughout Japan. That's how I'm going to be getting from place to place. That's about it. I'm super hyped for this, you guys. Like I can't even function right now. I'm so passionate about my roots and I need this more than you know. Not just because I want to go have fun on my own, but because this has been a dream of mine all my life and I'm finally getting to live it. I just know this will be the trip of a lifetime. :D